School trustee fined $750K for Facebook posts about trans policy

Former School Board Director Fined for Anti-Transgender Comments

A former director of the Chilliwack School Board in British Columbia has been ordered to pay $750,000 due to a ruling from the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal concerning his public remarks against transgender policies.

In a ruling dated February 18, the Tribunal concluded that Barry Neufeld was to compensate for the “injuries to the dignity, feelings, and self-respect of members of a class of CTA members who identify as LGBTQ from October 2017 to 2022.”

Neufeld’s initial exposure to Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) came in 2017 during an information session about SOGI, which was led by television host Laura-Lynn Tyler Thompson.

On October 23, 2017, Neufeld referred to SOGI on Facebook as a “propaganda weapon,” claiming it promotes the “absurd theory” that “gender is not biologically determined but a social construct.” He added, “Allowing children to change their gender is child abuse.”

His post ended with a comment about standing up to “radical cultural nihilists” and included a link to an article labeled “Parents Defeat Gender Ideology in Paraguay.”

Later, he issued an apology for his remarks. However, the ruling pointed out that over the following five years, he continued to make numerous public statements against SOGI 1 2 3 and gender-affirming care for transgender youth. He described the existence of transgender and gender-diverse individuals as just a “theory” or “ideology” and cautioned that educating children on SOGI could destabilize social order.

The Tribunal stated that Neufeld’s comments fostered a toxic work environment for LGBTQ teachers, affecting their morale regarding their sexual orientation and gender identity.

From 2017 to 2022, it was estimated that Chilliwack School District had between 45 and 163 teachers who identified as LGBTQ. Individual compensation for these teachers could vary from about $4,601.23 to $16,666.67.

Additionally, Neufeld was directed to pay $442.00 in lost wages to a teacher, known as “Teacher C,” who attended the hearing and missed 17 hours of employment while testifying.